Bible in a Year March 31 – 1 Samuel 22-23; 1 Chron 12:8-18: Psalms 52, 54, 63, 142

 

March 31 – 1 Samuel 22-23; 1 Chron 12:8-18: Psalms 52, 54, 63, 142

David is on the run and yet he has gathered quite a following. He appears to be the one held up as the protector of those who are poor and downtrodden at this point. He doesn’t have a permanent residence and lives in caves or begs for sanctuary in surrounding countries. Saul begins a reign of terror as he sanctions the killing of 85 priests and all the residents of the town. His guards refuse to do this, so Doeg, his head shepherd, takes over. We don’t see any repercussions for the disobedience of the guards, but I wonder how many might have lost some loyalty to Saul at this command. I imagine this slaughter left many Israelites afraid of Saul and more likely to report any sightings of David.

Keilah was a town in Judah near the border of Philistia. Maybe because of its nearness to the enemy, the city was well fortified, and yet the Philistines were still raiding the newly threshed grain from the resident’s barns. Apparently David’s men weren’t great warriors at this time – they are afraid of Saul and his army but are terrified by the Philistines. David is consistent in his search for the will of God and his faith convinces his men to continue to follow. They defeat the Philistines and deliver livestock to the people of Keilah, and yet they are still betrayed to Saul.

We see in Chronicles that around this time many warriors came and joined David’s little army. It’s a fun fact that the Benjamites (the clan of Saul) were ambidextrous!

Despite the tenuous situation he finds himself in, David still praises God and thanks him for ‘delivering him from all of his troubles.” Oh, I so often forget to praise God in the midst of troubles that are SO much less distressing…God help me to always remember to praise you.

TOMORROW’S TEXT: 1 Samuel 24; Psalm 57; 1 Samuel 25

Bible in a Year March 30 – 1 Samuel 20 – 21; Psalms 56, 34

 

March 30 – 1 Samuel 20 – 21; Psalms 56, 34

We don’t know what advice Samuel gave to David in yesterday’s text, but he returns to the palace and asks for information from his best friend, Jonathan.

It is a bit confusing that Jonathan doesn’t think Saul will kill David – back in 1 Samuel 19:1 it says that Saul told him directly to kill him. Jonathan seems to think he is his father’s confidant, however it doesn’t appear that they have a very close relationship – Saul was ready to kill him earlier with no hesitation and almost does it again. After a near death experience, Jonathan finally realizes the depth of his father’s anger and he warns David, pledging his lifelong friendship.

Did you recognize the portion of today’s text that was referenced by Jesus in Matthew 12:3-4? He used the example of David eating the consecrated bread to demonstrate that the law shouldn’t be held in a legalistic manner as his disciples plucked grain from a field on the Sabbath. Ahimilech went against the law when he gave the bread to David – do you think he should have done this?

It is evident from Psalm 56 that David definitely fears for his life, but he continues to trust in God. By the time he wrote Psalm 34 we can see that he is sensing God’s support and deliverance.

Did you notice the mention of the prophet Gad in 22:5? He will be around for a while. We’ll see later that he helps David arrange music for temple services, writes the history of David’s reign, and he will confront David for his sin of numbering the Israelites. And later in verse 20 Abiathar joins the group as priest, completing the basic elements for a royal entourage.

TOMORROW’S TEXT: 1 Samuel 22-23; 1 Chron 12:8-18: Psalms 52, 54, 63, 142

Bible in a Year March 29: 1 Samuel 18-19, Psalm 59

March 29: 1 Samuel 18-19, Psalm 59 

As mentioned yesterday we are switching to a chronological format for the rest of the Old Testament. First, an overview of the Psalms:

This book is a collection of 150 songs and prayers that are divided into five sub-books. The collection is considered poetry, and we lose a lot of the beauty of the work when it gets translated out of Hebrew.

David wrote 73 of these, Asaph 12, Sons of Korah 11, Solomon 2, and even one is attributed to Moses. 

Some scholars have suggested that Psalm 118:8, which reads, "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans," could be seen as a key verse for the book of Psalms because it emphasizes the idea of seeking God's protection and guidance rather than relying on human strength or wisdom. However, this verse is not universally recognized as the key verse of Psalms, and many other verses throughout the book express similar themes and messages.

Related to today's text: 

Imagine being in a pasture watching the sheep one day, and a short time later being hailed as a hero by all of Israel! David moves directly from the battlefield to the castle where he again plays the harp, but this time he’s recognized by everyone, is successful at huge assignments, and must be wondering when it’s his turn to be king.

However, the king has become violent and angry, and David must be a bit confused. David finally gets the offer of marriage promised before he killed Goliath, but he turns it down. Yet when a second offer is made, he accepts. Since it says Michel was in love with him, we can presume he was aware of her affections and perhaps felt the same way. But as a shepherd he didn’t have the typical payment that was made to a family in exchange for a wife (death of Goliath not withstanding). Saul expects the requirement he sets to result in David’s death, but instead David provides twice the expected payment. What a messy ‘treasure’ that must have been.

When threatened with death, David runs to Samuel. There is no evidence that the two have been working together, but David may have been seeking answers. Don’t you wonder what all the prophesying was about in 19:20-23? The word used here, ‘nabi’ indicates they were in a prophetic trance, unable to act on their own accord. Were they perhaps telling of the downfall of Saul and rise of David?

We see David’s first published psalm at this time. He is obviously a devout follower of the Lord and relies on Him for strength. David’s confusion at the situation is apparent, too. It is estimated that David is no more than 20 years old, and he has no idea the way this situation will change his life for the next decade or so.

TOMORROW’S TEXT: 1 Samuel 20 – 21; Psalms 56, 34

Bible in a Year March 28 - 1 Samuel 16-17

 March 28 - 1 Samuel 16-17 

I wonder what Jesse and David thought about David’s assignment to Saul as harpist? Was David always fearful that Saul would find out that he’d been chosen as the next king? It definitely gave David a chance to see the roles and responsibilities of a king. And it is disturbing that God gave Saul an evil spirit that overwhelmed him. We know that God is incapable of evil, so he must have given permission for an evil spirit to overtake Saul.

According to the National Geographic website, a rock shot from an ancient slingshot could be as deadly as a .44 Magnum! David was obviously experienced with this weapon that was known be accurate more than 600 feet away. The story of David and Goliath is one of the most famous in the Bible, but I find I can’t read it without hearing the voice of Junior Asparagus in my head (from the Veggie Tales show “Dave and the Giant Pickle”).

I noticed some things for the first time as I read it and I wonder if you found some new items, too. First there was the interaction with David’s brother, Eliab. Was he was jealous that David had been chosen to become king? Had David flaunted that a bit? Second, this was the first time I ever remember noticing that Goliath had a shield bearer in front of him. How did he play out in the story? Was he considered guilty of not protecting Goliath effectively? Often shield bearers were killed (or killed themselves) if they failed in battle. Third, it appears that Goliath might not have died immediately from the stone imbedded in his forehead. Verse 17:51 indicates David might have killed Goliath as he lie on the ground before he cut off his head.

Was there anything new for you in today’s reading?

TOMORROW’S TEXT: 1 Samuel 18-19, Psalm 59 (We are switching things up a bit and will be reading passages somewhat chronologically for a while to minimize duplication)

Bible in a Year March 27 - 1 Samuel 14-15

 March 27 - 1 Samuel 14-15

It’s hard to comprehend that Saul doesn’t seem the least bit upset that he will kill his son, especially after Jonathan’s heroics. Luckily the other men jump in and save Jonathan. It’s also hard to understand that God would punish Jonathan for unknowingly breaking the king’s command when the other men knowingly broke God’s command. I have to wonder if God truly was in the casting of the lot this time.

In yesterday’s reading we see that God takes away Saul’s legacy for a kingdom of all time. Now he rejects Saul as king – but he doesn’t remove him from the throne. In addition to disobeying God’s instruction, Saul has gone from a coward who hides behind the baggage to a braggart who sets up a monument in his own honor. When he hears that God has rejected him, he begs for another chance.

Just like Moses when he disobeyed, God’s decisions are final. I found it interesting that God grieved that he had made Saul king.

It is important to note that God did not change his mind about Saul – in his omniscience he knew all along that Saul would disobey. He continued on with his original plan. We see that Samuel mourned the rejection of Saul – I imagine he felt a bit of guilt for not working harder with Saul to ensure he was obedient. But of course Samuel didn’t know the whole story.

Today’s reading includes four separate texts that are covered in detail in a book called Hard Sayings of the Bible. You might want to see if you can find this book for a lot more information about these difficult passages.

TOMORROW’S TEXT: 1 Samuel 16-17

Bible in a Year March 26 - 1 Samuel 11-13

 March 26 - 1 Samuel 11-13

If your Bible has study notes or text notes, you might want to look them over as you begin chapter 13. Apparently there have been some transcription errors over the years and different Bible versions deal with them in a variety of ways. The NIV says Saul was 30 years old when he started to reign, but some early translations do not have this information. Also, there is some confusion about whether the text says “he reigned over Israel for 42 years” (NIV, NLT, NASB, HCSB) or “when he had reigned for two years over Israel” (ESV, NKJV, ASV). According to the Bible Knowledge Commentary, the earliest recorded Hebrew is literally “Saul was years old when he began to rein and he reigned two years over Israel.”  If you are into the history of the Bible, you may want to investigate this further!

 So, we will presume this battle took place two years after he was named king. We see mention of his son Jonathon for the first time, and he had to be experienced enough to lead 1000 men into battle. It seems, therefore, that Saul must have married early. Saul heads to Gilgal, something that was told him during his first meeting with Samuel (see ch 10:9). Obviously Saul remembered that discussion because he knew to wait seven days. He moves forward with what he thinks is the right thing to do, but he is so wrong.

 Have you ever stepped out thinking you were doing the right thing but forgot to ask God about it first? Because of this Saul would lose the establishment of his kingdom for all time. Oh, this brings up questions for me! We were told back in Genesis 49:10, when Jacob blesses Judah, that the “scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.” Was Samuel not given this information? We know God himself chose Saul (a Benjamite), and we know God knew Saul would mess up and his descendants wouldn’t reign eternally. Did the Israelites demand a king before David was old enough? Obviously more questions to ask when I get to Heaven.

 Lots more interesting stuff in today’s passage, but I’ve gone on long enough. What was most interesting to you?

 TOMORROW’S TEXT: 1 Samuel 14-15

Bible in a Year March 25: 1 Samuel 8-10

 March 25: 1 Samuel 8-10

I smiled a little at the conversation Saul had with the girls coming out of town. We know that Saul was an “impressive young man without equal among the Israelites - a head taller than any of the others”, but we don’t really know what he looked like. I can just hear these girls gabbing on about where to find the seer – they could have just said, “You will find him as you enter the town”. But instead they gave lots of details – were they flirting a bit, or were they just chatty?

 What it would be like to have someone tell you not only about your history but also about your future? Samuel mentions a great tree, but this is not the same one we’ve seen in the past. The ESV Bible states it was an oak tree, yet another indication of how God is in the details.

 Saul sees all the prophecies come true, and even prophesies himself when the Holy Spirit overtakes him. Yet he still hides when it comes time for him to be named king. It reminded me a bit of when Moses begged to be let out of his role. Have you ever felt the call of God to do something that seemed really out of place for you, and you tried to ignore it and hide?

 TOMORROW’S TEXT: 1 Samuel 11- 13

Bible in a Year March 24: 1 Samuel 4-7

 March 24: 1 Samuel 4-7

Did the Israelites treat the Ark like an idol? I wonder if they sat that as God instead of just his resting place. It seems they thought that bringing it, instead of praying to God, would save them. When it doesn’t, and the Philistines capture it, I imagine they saw it as a demonstration that their god, Dagon, was more powerful than the true God. Do you think the Israelites thought they’d be struck dead when the Ark was taken?

The Philistines quickly realize that taking the Ark was a mistake, and they attempt a test to see if God would direct it back to Israel. They realize an offering must be made, but gold tumors and rats? Ewww. Some scholars believe the illness suffered by the Philistines was actually the plague (which we now know is spread by fleas on rats) – maybe they recognized a rat infestation was of God.

The returned Ark is received with great celebration by the people of Beth Shemesh. I thought it was interesting that it stopped by the field of Joshua. Of course this is not the Joshua from the days in the desert, but the name does mean “The Lord Saves”.  I imagine the Philistines didn’t cover the Ark appropriately, and some 70 people were killed because they looked upon it. Were all the people killed, or just the ones who wanted a chance to view it up close? Surely those who treated it appropriately, covering it and transferring it to safety, were safe (I hope).

Have we as Christians ever treated the cross as an idol, turning to it instead of God?

TOMORROW’S TEXT: 1 Samuel 8-10

Bible in a Year March 23: 1 SAMUEL 1-3

 

March 23: 1 SAMUEL 1-3

1 and 2 Samuel were originally one book in early Hebrew manuscripts. Apparently when the books were translated into Greek (for a document called the Septuagint) the scrolls weren’t big enough so it had to be divided into two sections. We don’t know who wrote them, but it is likely that Samuel either wrote parts of them or at least supplied information for the sections before his death.

1 Samuel takes us through the time of Samuel’s leadership, the establishment of the kingship of Saul and up to Saul’s death. Samuel is a strong leader as a judge, prophet, and priest and he pulls the Israelites back to God. The book provides a lot of history and demonstrates God’s sovereignty over all things and how he delegates that to the leaders of the nation.

The key verse is probably 1 Samuel 8:6-7 “But when they said, ‘Give us a king to lead us,’ this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. And the LORD told him: ‘Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.’”

However, 1 Samuel 15:22-23 is also important: “But Samuel replied: ‘Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king’".

Hannah is devastated that she has not been able to bear a child. It doesn’t matter that her husband has finally gotten an heir (more about that later), she, like so many women, is desperate to feel quickening in her womb and to hold a child of her own. After years of prayer she gets her son, only to give him up to the Lord. Do you think she was asking to be let out of her vow on that long walk to Shiloh when she handed him over to Eli?

And while we might be judgmental toward Peninnah and her torturous taunting of Hannah, she also had a bit of a rough time. She was chosen as a second wife, most likely brought into the family only because Hannah was barren, with the sole purpose of providing an heir. She was successful, but her husband still showed favoritism to Hannah. I have to wonder how she felt after Hannah, too, had a son. Did she feel more than useless – especially after Hannah did such a noble thing?

Which woman can you relate to most?

I love that we are able to see Hannah’s prayer of thanksgiving. I do wonder, however, if verse 2:3 was dedicated to Peninnah! It’s sweet that Hannah brought Samuel a miniature priest’s outfit each year when she visited.

When I read 1 Sam 2:26, “And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men,” I couldn’t help but think of Luke 2:52 “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Can you think of any other person who has similar text?

The call of God on Samuel is also interesting – Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord where the Ark was! Was he actually in the inner room? Verse 3:10 says God actually came and stood in the room with Samuel, and that was where he resided in the Tabernacle. We don’t know how old Samuel was at the time, but he was able to report all that God said when he reported back to Eli. I imagine I’d be so in awe that I was actually hearing the voice of God that I’d probably forget everything he said – perhaps divine visits are imprinted on our brains and hearts. God was with Samuel as he continued to grow and he ‘let none of his words fall to the ground’. Apparently Samuel was well respected by all of Israel before the prophecies he’d received about Eli and his sons came true.

TOMORROW’S TEXT: 1 Samuel 4-7

Bible in a Year March 22 - RUTH

 

March 22- Ruth

The story of Ruth and Boaz gives us a rare glimpse into the everyday life of the Israelites during a time of peace. Redemption is the key concept of the book and also reflects Naomi’s transition from despair to happiness through the actions of her daughter-in-law and kinsman redeemer.

The key verse, and most famous verse, is 1:16, “But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you.  Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.”

This book is rather unusual because it is primarily dialogue – 59 of the 84 verses are conversational.

This story is probably very familiar to you – I hope to share somethings that maybe you haven’t thought about before.

The book of Ruth begins with a famine, which may have been God’s punishment for Israel’s disobedience. The fact that Elimelech and his family went to Moab was interesting since that was an area that was seen with disgust by the Israelites. In addition to the history of not letting the Israelites pass through the country, they were active worshippers of Chemosh. Marrying Moab women was not forbidden, but it was definitely seen as unwise to marry a foreign wife. Jewish tradition says the death of Elimilech and his sons was God’s punishment for leaving Bethlehem.

I wonder what Ruth’s family life had been like before she married Mahlon. Widows in Moab were treated about the same as Jewish widows – they were pretty destitute unless taken in by their parents or in-laws. She obviously preferred to leave everything she knew to stay with Naomi. Was Naomi such a wonderful woman, or was the situation dire for Ruth if she stayed? Did Naomi initially see Ruth, a foreigner, as a bit of a burden? She would not only be destitute like Naomi, but she would be a target for prejudice in Bethlehem.

In addition, Ruth was apparently barren (or would have been considered so).The Bible never her a barren woman, like it does others, but for whatever reason she was unable to have children with her husband, Mahlon. Instead of finding another husband, she turns her devotion to her mother-in-law and sets out to ensure the two of them have enough food to eat. We see no evidence in her actions to change her situation – she seems satisfied with her widowhood. Her dedication to Naomi more than to herself resulted in one of the happiest endings in the Bible.

The book of Ruth is still read today during the Jewish festival of Shavout (celebrated in late May), which recognizes the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. The story is seen as a symbol of the relationship between God and Israel and the importance of remaining faithful to one’s community and religious beliefs. And Christians see the story as a foreshadowing of Christ’s love and redemption.

TOMORROW’S TEXT: 1 Samuel 1-3

Bible in a Year March 21: Judges 20-21

 

March 21: Judges 20-21

Just wow… The Israelites all join together to fight the inhabitants of Gibeah after they were so evil in yesterday’s reading. Gibeah was a town of the Benjamites, and they were invited to fight, too, but instead they chose to fight against the Israelites. The rest of the tribes inquired of God before going into the battle, but in the first two days of fighting they lost more than 40,000 even though they vastly outnumbered the Benjamites. Finally God gave them the battle on the third day. It got a bit confusing there toward the end of the story because of duplication of information.

So were you as horrified as I was when the Israelites let the remaining 200 Benjamites without wives kidnap women from a festival? I can’t even imagine what those women went through.

The book ends with a fitting, “everyone did as he saw fit.”

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Ruth

Bible in a Year March 20 - Judges 17-19

 

March 20 - Judges 17-19

Another day of tough reading. Some of the stories don’t seem to make logical sense to me – I presume they were more understandable to the original readers/hearers.

The first story about Micah and the Levite seem as though they would have invoked the wrath of God – carved images and idols, household gods, a descendant of Ephraim installing a priest in his home instead of at the place God called them to worship…then the Danites taking him to be their priest along with the household idols, killing unsuspecting people without necessarily asking God’s direction. I did notice, however, that Moses’ descendants are named (v 18:30). I guess they did stay with Moses through the desert trek.

The next story is even more disturbing. I was confused when the man is referred to as a husband and son-in-law, but the woman is called a concubine. The word translated as ‘concubine’ is ‘issah’, which has been translated most times as woman or wife, but also as concubine or prostitute. Why was it so important to tell that the woman’s father wanted the man to stay so many days? And of course, just like the story of Lot, it is incomprehensible to me that the men would offer her and the virgin daughter to the evil Benjamites in the street.

Oh, how far the Israelites have fallen. Did you notice that God himself did not show up in todays’ reading?

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Judges 20-21

Bible in a Year March 19 - Judges 14-16

 

March 19 - Judges 14-16

The story of Samson is almost too crazy! Lions, bees, riddles, jawbones, foxes, and more. He doesn’t seem to be the kind of person God would choose – he’s brash, disrespectful, overbearing, and egotistical. And God used those characteristics to confront the Philistines in a way that was unexpected and yet successful.

You have to wonder how wise he was, though, with all the tricks Bathsheba pulled. Verse 16:16 says she nagged him “until he was tired to death.” It’s hard to understand why he didn’t just leave.

Did you see the last verse that said his brothers came to get his body? I’m hoping that means his mother was able to conceive and give birth to other children.

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Judges 17-19

Bible in a Year March 18: Judges 10 – 13

 

March 18: Judges 10 – 13

Today’s reading covers more than 134 years! At least 58 of those years the Israelites were oppressed by others.

The terminology used when God is frustrated with the disobedience of the people is often the word ‘mkr’, which means to sell or betray to others. Almost all derivatives of the word related to trade. If indeed this was a trade of sorts, I wonder what the conquerors got out of the deal.

Several of the judges mentioned had a LOT of children! Twice we see that they rode on donkeys, which were considered a symbol of royalty at the time. Perhaps God chose these men because they were already successful leaders, unlike Gideon.

A few things that really stuck out to me today:

1) Why did the Israelites wait so long (18 – 40 years) to cry out to God?

2) Verse 10:16 says that God “could bear Israel’s misery no more”. Our God is patient and caring. He waits for us to learn our lesson, but at some point our pain hurts him more than it does us.

3) Jephthah made a horrible vow! But he honored God enough to follow through. Did he really provide his daughter as a burnt sacrifice? Who or what did he truly expect to walk out the door? Because the Law of Moses prohibited human sacrifice, most scholars believe that Jephthah was able to instead dedicate her to service at the tabernacle as a perpetual virgin. Because of this vow, regardless of the way it was fulfilled, Jephthah would have no more descendants.

4) Wow, the people of Ephraim must have really liked fighting! Just like they did with Gideon, they were angry that Jephthah didn’t invite them to participate in the action. However this time they apparently got the fight they wanted and suffered because of it. This is the first time we see Israelites fighting against each other.

5) I love that Manoah and his wife wanted advice on raising their son. I do wish the author had told us his wife’s name, though.

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Judges 14-16

Bible in a Year March 17 – Judges 8-9

 

March 17 – Judges 8-9

Poor Gideon – everyone seems to be against him! The name Jerub-Baal  stuck for the rest of his life. The Ephraimites are mad he didn’t call them to fight early on in the battle, and the residents of Succoth refuse to feed his troops. Succoth was a city east of the Jordan and was the tribe of Dan’s territory, but it most likely remained in non-Israelite possession. Peniel was also east of the Jordan and was the location where Jacob wrestles with an angel in Genesis 32.

Gideon created a relic of sorts from the gold that had been collected, and the Israelites worshiped it instead of God. Gideon’s life changed significantly after this battle -- he ended up having 70 sons with several wives and another named Abimelech , the son of his concubine from Shechem. Gideon was no longer the weak, hesitant man he once was.

After 40 years of peace, Gideon died and Abimelech got a bit power hungry. The name Abimelech actually means ‘my father is king’, and he seemed to think it was his right to take over once Gideon died.  After killing 69 of his brothers and garnering a large support group, he actually governed Israel for three years. After much trauma and drama, Shechem was once again destroyed and more than 1000 people were burned alive before Abimelech was killed.

How does someone kill all his brothers? Was Abimelech seen as a bastard child by the others? And who gave him the name ‘my father is king’, Gideon? It seems a bit grandiose to me.

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Judges 10 – 13

Bible in a Year March 16 - Judges 6-7

 March 16 - Judges 6-7

The story of Gideon is fascinating. He is the weakest man in the weakest tribe, and yet God used him to save Israel. When we first see him, he’s threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it hidden from the Midianites (which also means he had a very small harvest). He was probably stomping on the grain as one would grapes for wine.

This is the only time in Judges that we see the Angel of the Lord approach a judge himself to announce his role. Gideon is incredibly hesitant and even after seeing miraculous fire from a rock he fulfills the request to tear down false altars, but does it in the middle of the night. The next day the Spirit of the Lord comes upon him and he calls together an army. Still hesitant, though he requires two signs (and 48 hours) to be sure he heard correctly.

It is shocking that 2/3rds of the army is frightened and returns home! These folks hadn’t been in war situations and weren’t well trained, and obviously they were terrified of the Midianites.

God’s love and patience is so persistent in this passage. Even after the proofs he’d seen, God knew Gideon was still scared and hesitant (I imagine he wanted to be first in line when the others returned home). Yet God allows him to hear the fear of the Midianites!

Whenever we feel inadequate, it would be good to remember that God led just 300 men to overwhelm the Midianites with just trumpets, clay pots, and torches! Surely he can help each of us to overcome the battles we are fighting.

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Judges 8-9

Bible in a Year March 15 - Judges 3 – 5

 

March 15 - Judges 3 – 5

God apparently allowed many Canaanites to stay both to test the Israelites devotion AND to train the new generation to fight. After the Israelites began worshipping other gods and doing evil, God lifted up Caleb’s nephew/son-in-law, Othniel, and filled him with the Spirit. (Side note – the Bible only mentions three other judges who were filled with the Spirit – Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson. It doesn’t mean others weren’t, but it is significant that only these names are mentioned). Othniel leads the Israelites in war and the land has peace for 40 years.

Ehud is the next judge, and the fact that he is left-handed is obviously significant.  He was from the tribe of Benjamin, and it seems Benjamites are mostly characterized as being either left-handed or ambidextrous. After Ehud kills Eglon, who caused problems for the Israelites for 18 years, the land had peace for 80 years.

Shagmar is next, and we don’t know much about him except that he killed 600 Philistines with an oxgoad. This was a pointed rod used for driving cattle. I’m picturing Chuck Norris with a giant stick!

Then one of my favorite stories is that of Deborah and Jael. one of the things I find so fascinating is that Jael’s husband (who was related to Zipporah, Moses’ wife) was on good graces with Jabin the king. Was Jael in disagreement with her husband’s politics (since Sisera was commander of Jabin’s army), or did she have some specific gripe against Sisera himself? Oh, and did you notice that her tent was set up under that ‘great tree’ in Zaanannim that we talked about back in Joshua 19?

After these events the land had peace for another 40 years.

TOMORROW’S TEXT:  Judges 6-7

Bible in a Year March 14: Joshua 24; Judges 1-2

 March 14: Joshua 24; Judges 1-2

JUDGES

The book of Judges begins at the time of Joshua’s death. The Israelites have settled peacefully into the Promised Land and have started building up their cities and falling into a routine life. But with comfort unfortunately comes complacency. There isn’t a strong leader to fill Joshua’s shoes and the Israelites begin a cycle of rebellion, judgment, and deliverance through a series of judges ordained by God. Some say it’s a series of hero stories that demonstrate both God’s compassion and the weakness of the leaders.

There is a cycle to the book that establishes a framework for these stories

1.    1. People do evil things and worship other gods
2.    God gets angry and allows other nations to invade
3.    Israel cries for help
4.    God raises up a judge who delivers the people from their enemies
5.    Israel again returns to foreign gods.

 It is traditionally considered that Samuel wrote this book, and it was written after the establishment of kingship. Some believe that perhaps Nathan and Gad, the prophets, participated in the editing of the book during the reign of David.

 Key verses are Judges 2:11-12 and Judges 21:25.

It’s a bit sad to say goodbye to Joshua. He’s been a good leader and his farewell speech is pretty amazing. There has been almost no rebellion in his time and the Israelites are finally at peace. I imagine his quote, “But for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” hangs in thousands of homes today. We also say goodbye to Phineas, who has served the people well as head priest.

Joseph’s bones, which were carried with the Israelites for the last 40 years, were buried in the tract of land his father bought to pitch his tent back in Gen 33:18. Joseph had slept on that ground during his lifetime, and now the whole land belonged to his descendants.

Did you have a sense of dejavu when you started reading Judges? I wonder what was so significant about the story of Acsah that it was repeated? We see another story of grace toward the people who helped the Israelites invade a city – I’m glad they kept their promises to those residents.

As we saw earlier, there were quite a few Canaanites who remained in the land. While initially they were servants to the Israelites, it only took one generation for the people to be influenced by that culture.

One of the key verses is in our reading today:

“11 Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals; 12 and they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed down to them; and they provoked the Lord to anger.” (NIV)

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Judges 3 – 5

Bible in a Year March 13: Joshua 21:13 – 23:16

 March 13: Joshua 21:13 – 23:16

Lots more town names today. Did you notice the town of Shechem in the inheritance of the Kohathite clans? Their relative, Levi, was one of the two sons of Jacob that killed all the men there after they raped Dinah. They obviously knew the story – I wonder what they thought as they took over that town.

I love verse 21:45 – every one of God’s promises were fulfilled! Oh what a wonderful time that must have been for the people of Israel!

As the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh are finally sent home, Joshua’s advice if pertinent to them and to us: be careful to follow the commandments to “love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul.” (Joshua 22:5). But then comes a huge miscommunication/misunderstanding.

How quickly we jump to conclusions without seeking the truth! The rest of the Israelites were ready to wipe them out for building an altar, presuming they were already worshipping other gods. While I commend the Israelites for their avid defense of God, if they would have just asked about it there would have been much less drama. And if the residents of the east side of the Jordan would have communicated their intent that would have avoided a lot of chaos.

So the men of these three tribes were on the west side of the Jordan for at least 5 years. Did they get time off to go see their families? How did the rest of those tribes, who remained on the west, get by without the men in the prime of their lives? How difficult was it for everyone to adjust having them back?

TOMORROW’S TEXT:  Joshua 24; Judges 1-2

Bible in a Year March 12 - Joshua 18:1 – 21:12

 

March 12 - Joshua 18:1 – 21:12

Well, this was another day of skimming for me. So many town names that don’t really mean much, but I did look at the map again – it’s here if you want it.

I wonder what the tribe of Benjamin thought of receiving the town of Jericho? Joshua had put a curse on anyone who built the town up (see Joshua 6:26), so essentially that would remain a shambles.

It was interesting to see that the inheritance for the tribe of Simeon came out of the allocation already given to Judah because it was bigger than Judah needed. I wonder how that came about – did the tribe of Judah offer it up, or were they perhaps a bit miffed to be losing some of the land they had already received?

I giggled a little when I read verse 19:33 – the boundary for Naphtali went from “Heleph and the large tree in Zaanannim…”. I guess it was a really large tree for everyone to know where it was!

The cities of refuge were established, too. Were there so many accidental deaths that these were so necessary? If someone were killed accidentally, how much time did the person have to escape to a city, or could vengeance be taken while he/she was on the way? I guess with the ‘eye for an eye’ law people might have wanted to seek retribution right away.  I don’t remember any stories of someone needing to take sanctuary, but I’ll be watching for it as we continue to read.

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Joshua 21:13 – 23:16

Bible in a Year March 11 Joshua 15 – 17

 

March 11 Joshua 15 – 17

Unless you have a map of the region that shows how these land allotments actually look, today’s reading is pretty impossible to comprehend. You can get a bit of a picture here:

There is an interesting tidbit in 15:16 – 19. In loving paternal fashion, Caleb offers his daughter Acsah in marriage to whoever attacks and captures the town of Kiriath Sepher. This ancient town was located near Hebron in the West Bank. Her cousin Othniel captures the town and they are married. Acsah was apparently pretty wise and wanted to settle down. Her father had given her land in the Negev and she wanted springs of water, too, which he granted.

1 Chronicles 2:49 tells us that Caleb’s first wife died and he remarried. He also had two concubines, and one of them was Acsah’s mother. He also had several sons.

Othniel became the first judge in Israel.

We also see that the daughters of Zelophehad finally received their land.

Unfortunately there were some people groups that could not be completely dislodged. You can bet they will cause trouble in the future!

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Joshua 18:1 – 21:12

Bible in a Year March 10 Joshua 11:10 – 14:15

 

March 10 Joshua 11:10 – 14:15

Lots of place and people names in today’s reading! After all the battles, the land finally had rest from war.

I’m still wondering about details, though. What happened to all the bodies? I’m presuming they weren’t buried – it would take way too long. Very few of the cities were burned, but did they perhaps burn the bodies? All the people were killed, so there was no one left in those cities to take care of them.  I’m sure the smell pervaded the land. When the Israelites finally moved into these cities, did they have to clean up all the bones? Did animals run wild through the towns? I’m sure the women had a lot of work to do to clean out the houses that were left; I can’t comprehend what a difficult job that must have been.

It’s nice to see Caleb again! At 85 he was still able to fight and he finally got the land he was promised. We don’t know exactly how long all the battles took, but at this point Caleb has been in the Promised Land for 5 years.

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Joshua 15 – 17

Bible in a Year March 9: Joshua 8:24 – 11:9

 

March 9: Joshua 8:24 – 11:9

Another day of hard reading.

After messing up and making a treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites seemed to learn their lesson and always inquired of the Lord before taking action. It’s actually kind of amazing that God didn’t punish them for that act of disobedience – perhaps because they were deceived.

I know the Israelites did as they were told, and earlier we read that God was eradicating all the people of the land because of their despicable practices, but I have to wonder what effect all the killing had on the Israelite soldiers. Especially when they killed women, children, and animals.

Why would God have them hamstring the horses and burn the chariots? Couldn’t they use them in future battles? There are a few reasons suggested in various commentaries. First, cutting the hamstring of a horse causes it to be ineffective for military use or other useful work. This would prevent an enemy to use them against the Israelites in the future. Another suggestion was that the Israelites were not trained to use horse and chariots, so it was easier to destroy them than take the time to become proficient. A third reason, and perhaps the best, was that without this type of help in battle the Israelites would learn to depend on the Lord and give him credit for their success.

Suffice it to say that the first months in the Promised Land were full of messy battles. Why do you think God made the Israelites fight for the land instead of just wiping out the populations with disease or having the other people groups just fight each other?

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Joshua 11:10 – 14:15

Bible in a Year March 8: Joshua 5:1 - 8:23

 

March 8: Joshua 5:1 - 8:23

Once the Israelites had crossed, the God’s first request for obedience was to “circumcise the sons of Israel a second time”.   The Israelites did not practice circumcision while in the desert, so this was a ‘second’ circumcision on the whole group to bring everyone into the covenant originally established with Abraham. That caused me to wonder why they didn’t do it before crossing the river, since there were efforts on the eastern side of the Jordan to consecrate themselves before crossing.

The group then celebrated Passover, another matching ‘bookend’ to the desert trip. The next day the Israelites ate food from the land, and the manna stopped. From this point on they ate what they harvested.

The passage moves quickly from this point as the Israelites are told the plan for taking Jericho. I can only imagine the looks on the faces of the warriors as Joshua told them what they were to do! Encyclopedias state that Jericho was about 10 acres in size, so at most it was about a quarter mile walk around it. It is reported that the walls were about 13 feet high, and approximately 2000 people lived in the city. It is one of the oldest cities in the world, and is also one of the lowest at 846 feet below sea level!

Unfortunately one man kept some of the plunder, and the Israelites suffered a loss because of it. It is hard to understand why his entire family had to suffer stoning because of his sin, but again we have to trust God and his commands. When you read the words God said to Joshua as he lay in front of the Ark praying (v 7:10), how did you portray God’s attitude? Patient, frustrated, angry, or something else?

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Joshua 8:24 – 11:9

Bible in a Year March 7 Joshua 1:10 – 4:24

 

March 7 Joshua 1:10 – 4:24

Oh, the excitement of the day the Israelites finally get to stand on the land promised to Abram so many years ago!

The Jordan River at the point where it is presumed the Israelites crossed is typically 90 – 100 feet wide and averages 3 – 10 feet deep. Since this was harvest season and the river was flooded, it was most likely much wider and deeper.  To add a bit of reality to this, BiblicalPlaces.com reports that “in 1854 an expert swimmer was unable to make it across the river near Jericho because the river was too wide and the current too strong.”*

I’m sure it took great faith for the Levites who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant to step into the river as it flowed. References state that the Ark of the Covenant probably weighed between 330 pounds and 615 pounds and was carried on poles by four men. That in itself would be awkward even if you weren’t stepping into a flood. But when their feet hit the water, the water backed up (actually some 20 miles away at a town called Adam). Inquiring minds want to know if the flow stopped when the first man stepped in, or did all four have to get wet?

The men stayed in the middle of the river until all the Israelites had crossed. Some estimate there were about 2.5 million people plus cattle that had to cross. If one person crossed per second, that would take about 29 days! But since the river was backed up so far, I’m sure great crowds crossed at once. If a procession of about 100 people wide crossed at a time it would take about 7 hours.

Did the same four men hold the Ark all that time, or did they ‘tap out’ and relieve each other? Oh, why do I care about such useless information? One commentary states that God required the Ark to go first, symbolizing that God was leading the people. And my study Bible says this signified that the Lord himself remained in the position of most danger. As the rest of the community crossed the river, many people got to actually view the Ark, which was usually hidden away in inner sanctum of the Tabernacle or at the head of the procession when they relocated.

I appreciate the symbolism of this journey beginning and ending with a miracle of a dry river crossing. The vast majority of the crowd had only heard stories of the Red Sea crossing, and now they had the opportunity to participate in an identical miracle.

*BiblicalPlaces.com no longer exists. I found this information referenced on Neverthirsty.org.

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Joshua 5:1 - 8:23

Bible in a Year March 6 Dt 32:15 – 34:12; Joshua 1:1-9

 March 6 - Dt 32:15 – 34:12; Joshua 1:1-9

As I finish the book of Deuteronomy I am struck by the severity of punishment God promises if the Israelites disobey. While He is lavish in his rewards for following his law, the backlash for straying is daunting. When Jesus came we, non-Israelites, were given a choice to believe or not. The result of our choices has serious eternal repercussions, but in this world God doesn’t discipline us for not turning to him (other than typical consequences for our own actions). It seems those born in an Israelite family didn’t have the option of choice.

That begs the question, are current day people of Jewish descent who choose not to follow Christ still bound by the original covenant? The New Testament tells us that Jesus is the only way (Jn 14:16), so that presumably nullifies the original covenant for all. There are VERY devout Jews who are doing their best to obey – is it all for naught? And are we, Christians, suffering the results of our disobedience but not realizing that it is God’s wrath? God is loving, but he is also strict.

Oh, I know this is a slippery slope, but it makes me want to jump ahead to the New Testament and do more digging. Dt. 29:29 states “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” God will keep some answers secret forever, we just have to trust and obey what we know!

That said, I don’t want to ignore the amazing blessings Moses gave to the tribes in his final speech – oh that all those things would come true for them.

God then calls Moses, at 120 years of age, to trudge up a mountain and look over the whole of the Promised Land before he dies. The word tells us that Moses’ eyesight is still perfect, and it must have been a very clear day for him to see so far (I have no idea how much you or I could see if we stood on top of Mount Nebo today. You can see several pictures of the view from here. )

I can only imagine his deep emotions at that moment.

 

JOSHUA

It’s time! (An aside to anyone old enough to have watched VeggieTales – I can’t type that without singing “We didn’t have a lot of fun in the desert…”.)

After emptying the sand out of their shoes every night for 40 years, the Promised Land is now a reality. The book of Joshua leads us across the Jordan River and through all the efforts to resettle in the land.

There is some disagreement about who wrote this book, when, and when the actual events occurred. You may want to look at the intro to Joshua in your Bible, but in short many believe it was written mostly by Joshua himself and updated a bit by others after his death (perhaps Samuel?) or it was written well into the era of kings. Either way, there are very specific details included and references to writings by Joshua himself, so he most likely kept a good journal of the time.

Centuries after God made the promise to Abram, his descendants are finally entering into the land flowing with milk and honey, and Joshua is the one to lead them in. Joshua is from the tribe of Ephraim and his father ,Nun, is the son of the leader of the tribe. He has been an aide to Moses since his youth. We know he was over 20 years old at the time everyone left Egypt, so I wonder when he and Moses got together. Was he a young man living in Midian who followed Moses back to Egypt? Or was he a slave in Egypt that Moses rescued?

In Ex 17, Joshua leads warriors into battle, so we know he was strong and had some traits of a military commander (although success is attributed entirely to Yahweh). He alone went with Moses up Mount Sinai for 40 days and nights – we know he is up there when he mistakenly thinks there is a battle below (Ex32).

There are two verses that are considered key – Joshua 1:6-9 and Joshua 24:14-15. These essentially begin and end the book.

I look forward to learning from his devotion and leadership.

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Joshua 1:10 – 4:24

Bible in a Year March 5 Dt 29:1 - 32:14

 

March 5 Dt 29:1 - 32:14

Our last full day of Deuteronomy! We’ve almost made it!

I was surprised when I saw how many verses I had underlined or highlighted in today’s reading already. I’m not sure if I marked them during sermons or as I read this section at other times. There is a lot of encouragement and lots of warning. While these verses were written specifically for the Israelites and the first covenant, they also can be applied to us today if we look at the New Testament covenant instead of the OT one.

Verse29:19 warns against thinking it’s ok to do whatever we want because we are covered by a covenant. Just because we have the salvation of the covenant doesn’t mean we can live like we don’t! But there is a lot of encouragement throughout, 30:11 reminds us that obedience is not too difficult or beyond our reach, and several times we are told to be strong and courageous. And one of God’s best promises is in verse 31:8.

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

I can imagine it broke Moses’ heart to hear that the Israelites would indeed become corrupt and suffer disastrous results because of it.

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Dt 32:15 – 34:12; Joshua 1:1-9

Bible in a Year March 4: Dt. 27:11 – 28:68

 

March 4: Dt. 27:11 – 28:68

Oh, my. If the Israelites would have posted the words of the curses for disobedience on their walls I can’t imagine they would have ever turned their backs on God! It was hard to really focus on all these curses, they were so intense.  I imagine Satan worming his way among the crowd hissing, “God wouldn’t really do THAT…would he?”

And yet it didn’t take long…

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Dt. Dt 29:1 - 32:14